Zack's Zany Zuchinni Boats

Once upon a time, there was a zany zucchini named Zack who loved nothing more than to play pranks on his fellow vegetables. He would sneak up behind them and shout "Boo!", or tickle them with his long green fingers until they were giggling and gasping for air.

One day, Zack had an idea for a particularly silly prank. He gathered all of his vegetable friends together and announced that he was going to create "zucchini boats".

"Zucchini boats?" asked his friend Tom the tomato. "What are those?"

"Oh, they're a delicious and nutritious way to enjoy zucchini!" Zack replied with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

So Zack gathered up some ground beef, chopped veggies, and spices, and got to work. He hollowed out the insides of several zucchinis to create "boats", filled them with the beef mixture, and topped them with Parmesan cheese.

His friends were amazed and delighted by the zany zucchini boats. "Wow, Zack, these are delicious!" exclaimed Sarah the squash. "I had no idea zucchinis could be so fun and tasty!"

Zack just grinned from ear to ear, happy to have pulled off another successful prank. "That's the power of zany zucchinis," he said with a wink.

Zany Zuchinni Boats

Ingredients:

• 4 medium zucchinis
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon to create "boats".
3. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until browned and crumbled.
4. Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine.
5. Sauté the mixture until the vegetables are tender and the beef is fully cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Fill each zucchini boat with the beef mixture and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender and the cheese is melted and golden brown.
8. Serve hot and enjoy your zany zucchini boats!